Issue 19, 2024

Cation exchange synthesis of AgBiS2 quantum dots for highly efficient solar cells

Abstract

Silver bismuth sulfide (AgBiS2) nanocrystals have emerged as a promising eco-friendly, low-cost solar cell absorber material. Their direct synthesis often relies on the hot-injection method, requiring the application of high temperatures and vacuum for prolonged times. Here, we demonstrate an alternative synthetic approach via a cation exchange reaction. In the first-step, bis(stearoyl)sulfide is used as an air-stable sulfur precursor for the synthesis of small, monodisperse Ag2S nanocrystals at room-temperature. In a second step, bismuth cations are incorporated into the nanocrystal lattice to form ternary AgBiS2 nanocrystals, without altering their size and shape. When implemented into photovoltaic devices, AgBiS2 nanocrystals obtained by cation exchange reach power conversion efficiencies of up to 7.35%, demonstrating the efficacy of the new synthetic approach for the formation of high-quality, ternary semiconducting nanocrystals.

Graphical abstract: Cation exchange synthesis of AgBiS2 quantum dots for highly efficient solar cells

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
30 Nov 2023
Accepted
04 Mar 2024
First published
06 Mar 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Nanoscale, 2024,16, 9325-9334

Cation exchange synthesis of AgBiS2 quantum dots for highly efficient solar cells

A. Senina, A. Prudnikau, A. Wrzesińska-Lashkova, Y. Vaynzof and F. Paulus, Nanoscale, 2024, 16, 9325 DOI: 10.1039/D3NR06128K

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